Improvement in railway switches



ituiteti stattet @tutti (utilice.

JAMES- P. unal-RON, or ATLANTA,GE10RG 1A.

Letters .Patcnt Naf-106,266, dated August 9. 1R70.

I MPROVEMENp'm muraarmr` SWITCHES.

The schedule 'referred rg n; these Lettera Parent and making pm of :he sans.

do hereby declare the tbllowing to be a-t'ull, clear, and exact description thereof', reference being,r had to the annexed drawing making part of this spcciticationin which- Figures 1 and 2 are plans showing my invention in two ditfcrent positions; 'Figure 3 is aperspective view, purposely distorted to show the connection jof sonic ofthe parts ot' the invention; and p Figures 4, '5, 6, 7, 8, t), 10, are different views of the principal mechanical devices in the combination, and

will be more particularly referred to hereafter.

".lhe nature of my invention consists in an arrangement ot' rock-shafts, levers, rods, and tumbler-cams,

which shall be operated on t-he approach ot' a train bythe cow-catcher, or by the brake-bar of the rear car it` the train is moving backward, to shift the rails if it be necessary; if not, then the rails shall lay undisturbed, v

In the drawingl-A A are the permanent rails' of a straightor main track, and 4 B ,Bare those of a branch road or siding.

G C D are the` shifting rails, which, with theot-her devices, constitute the switch. 'lhe rails arevlaid and secured upon ties, in the usual way, byspikes and chairs'.

'lhe shitting rails G C D are jointed at one end to the permanent rails in such a manner (see-a I1, figs. 1 and 2,) .that their other endsmay have not only lateral but vertical play, snticient .to allow'them to be litted the height ot' a rail or more, say four and a half or five inches.

This 'vertical pla-y is for the purpose ot clearing the 4 j'aw's ot the doublechair c, which supports the end of ashifting rail, and the ends of the two permanent rails ot' two tracks that the shit'tnpY rail connects with.

The doublechairc has a depressed seat for the end of cach rail, so that the space inthe bottom ot' the chair between the rails is higher than the lowertianges 'of them, in order to hold `them secure ti'om lateral motion. It is also an advantage in icy weather, when, the rails may betrozen end to end, and extremely dit'- ticult to slide, to have them arranged to bc liltcd free before they are moved to the other rails."

At af'short ldistanccrfrom the jointed ends of the rails cc, a shaft or axle, E, is placed, and secured in bearings attached to one of the ties ofthe pcrnlanent track.

'On vthis shaft vibrate freely two bell-cranks or bent levers, FA G. y

The level' F is connected by a rod, d, jointed to its lower end with the lower end of a lever, I, set fastat its middle upon the rock-shaft H.

This rock-shaft- Ais supported in bearings secured to the tie which supports the movable ends of the rails C, and extends to-some distance beyond and under them on each side ofthe track, and will be more fully referred to further on.. p

When the 'upperlirnb of the lever F stands vertilcally between the rails, .its upper' cud 'is about two linchesabove the level of their top tianges, and-its lower limb is'inclined toward the rock-shaft H,` at an angle of about forty-tive degrees', and the lever I is parallel with the said lower limb, having the same inclinationi- The posit' ot' these parts, as shown in `will have when the vswitch is ou the. side"track, as in tlg. 2. Y'

--Jlhe upper limb of the bent; lever G is shorter than that'ot` F by about two inches, and its lower end is connected by a rod, c, to the upper eml of the lever4 I, so that, when the lever F stands vertical, thelever G is horizontal, and vice versa.

' It will be seen that a movement of either ofthe levers F G from a vertical toalatei'al position will cause the rock-shaft H to make a quarter ot' a revolution, and make the other level' rise to a vertical position.

lThe rock-shaft K is supported in the same manner `as H, under the moving 'end of the shifting'rail D,'

exactlylike I, and connected by its ends with the ends of the lever I by. means of' the rods fg, which 'both extend from the top ot'one lever tothe bottom ot' the other, so that the-two shall always incline in opposite directions, (see tig. 3.)

' On that end of the rock-shaft K which is between the rails of the side track, is trnily fastened a crankarm, M, equal in length to one-half thev lever L, and connected at its upper cud, by the rod It, to the lower limb ot' the bell-crank or heut lever N.

'lhis bentlerer is constructed like the'lever F but with its upper' limb so longas to extend,4 when vertical, high enough tocome in contact and he moved by the brake-bar ot' any railway-truck frame.' It is loose like the lever F, on an angle, 0supported on one ot' the ties between the rails ot" the side track, as seen' Thus, whatever may be the direction in which the lever L and arm M incline, the lower limbs ofthe `ot` either of the bent levers at one end of the switch i the switch, then the engine-driver raises the drop as G, throwing it down, and the lever F up.

it. While the seat l in this figure is a plane surface,

bent levers N P will be in avdircction at right angles with each other, so that, when the upper limb of one is vertical, the other will be horizontal, as isthe case with F and G. Y

It will be seen by this arrangement of level-sand rods 4that when F and P arestanding erect, G and N will be down, as seen iniig. 3, and that a depression will change the relative positions of the bent levers attbe other end.v v. Y

"lhe rock-shaft H extends to some distance beyond the rail of the main track, and bears an arm', Q, having at its extremity' any suitably shaped device for a signal, R, figs. land 2. l v

lhe arm is so set on the end of the rock-slraftthat when'the levers F and P are down, the signal is down and out of sight from an approaching train. W'hen these levers rise, the signal risesso as to be seen; o r the reverse Ofthis arrangemeutmay be adopted, as circumstances may direct. i

1t should be stated here that the position of thele-vers, rods, 85o., asshown in fig. 3, is that which they will assume when the main track is closed, and the switch is open, as shown in fig; 2, and, also, that the movement ofthe parts is produced by a pull upont-he rods d e h i, and never by 'attbi-ust.

The upper ends of the levers F and G are -to be depressed toward'the switch by a dropattached to the cow-catcher of an engine, `which will be controlled in its action by the engine-driver.' y

'.lhis drop is so arranged as to always be in position to knock down the lever F, when approaching the switch from the left, if the train is tokeep on the main track; but if the train is to run ou the switch, which is open, as the signal R will show, the drop is to be raised so as to clear the top of the lover' F, and the train passesl onto tisser-itch, and leaves it standing.

1f the niaiu ,track be open, and it is desired to take before, so that the lever F may clear it as it rises, but another part of the drop descends and strikes the' lever On the rock-shaftH are firmly secured two tumbler-v cains, S S, one under the end of each shifting-rail O, and on the rock-shaftK, under the moving end of the rail l), is secured another and similar tumbler-cani, S. This cani (for'the description of one will serve for all) is so constructed as toforln two railchairs, as farapart as is required for the play of the rails, but so arranged that the two seats k shall he at right anglcswith each other, so vthat when one seat is horizontal, as in supporting a rail end, the other scat shall be perpendicular, and when the rock-shaftand cam shall have vmade about a quarter of a revolution, the positions o' the seats will be relatively changedt'o a like degree.

FigA-is a plan or top view ofthe cam B in the position it will assume whcnthe side track is open, as in tig. 2. v

Fig. 5 is a side view of the sanie'lokiug toward the switch.

The seat lr, as shown in plan, fig. 4, is, in iig. 5, in profile, and a section of rail is shown as resting upon in fig. 4 it is only shown by a line, which the edge of its vertical plane in that figure.

lhe-two seats, k l, are connected by two curved and sloping surfaces m m.

lheir arrangement is plainly shown in figs. 9 and 10, which are perspective views of a cam in two positions. The broken :n.d dottcd'lne in each of these iigurcs indicates the edge of a plane passing through the axis ofthe cani, and intersecting the surface in.

Fig. (i shows the position of the cam, when it has runde a quarter of arevolution from the position-of iig, 5. lhe rail is shown by dotted lines ashaving v as seen in tig. 8.

l meses been lifted, vby the rising edge of. the seat k, up from having reached its new position in the seat' L Lugs or projections n n may be cast on the flanges .o o, of the cam, as shown in' figs. 5.and 6, that will per 'mitthe lower 'flange of the -rail to slide under them -befbre they haveA completed the quai-ter turn, and whicl1,wh cn the' rail is down square upon its seat,will

be on the top of the flange, and hold the rail securely in place.

The curved corner or angle 11, extending fromA oneY seat to the other, and which is common to the-two' v surfaces m m, figs, 9 and'lO, maybe cut or rounded away between the seats, so as to lessen the width of sliding surface, and allow-the rail greater freedom AIn sliding. fia

That part of the cam which is under each seat is swelled, so as to-form an eccentric, vq, on the rock-shaft,

Around this eccentric a groove, fr, commences at theend of the caln, where the surface of the eccentric is nearest the axis of the cam, and extends spirally around the eccentric, until it runs out Aatthe moving edge of the seat. A cha-in or wire cord, fig. 7, is attached to each end ofthe cam, as near as possible tothe line oftheaxis, and in line with the beginning of the groove r, and'is attached at the other end to the underside of the bottom ange ot' the rail, near the furthest euhgethere-V of, as shown in fig. 7.' v 1 When the cam, in turning, begins to liftrthe rail up from its seat, the chain on that end begins to unwind and slackens, and, as it does so, the other chain pulls on theral to help it over from one seat tothe other,

until tits groove catches it, and the eccentric tightens `the chain, and,'bf'-'.ta increasing motlon,' brings^-thc rail quickly and surely` to its new position.

Byl this construct-ion ofthe ca'm S, the rail, after being lifted from its seat, will nevercolne to afstand between its twoproper positions, butwill either continue its movement to. the cnd, or, if' from any cause' its movement is checked, it'will immediately return to its first position, its weight alone being sutcieut 'to produce this effect, so that there can be no danger of r'unning oli' the track so long as the rail remains unbroken. Figures 11, 12, andl show the camS, moditied by the absence of the eccentric q', as it may be deemedsometimesexpedient to dispense with the chain'or i cord. l

This invention operates as follows, viz: When 4the inan trackis open, as in fi". 1, thel levers G and N are erect; F and P are down, as' is also the signal lt. 1f the train, which we will suppose to como from the left, is to keep on th'e main track A, the driver knows, from not seeing the signal, that-it is all right,

, ,and oes ahead if the signal is 11p, the lever F-is up,

and e vstill drives on, knowing that the drop under the co-wrcatcher will throw down' the lever F and open the main track. 1f, however, hewishes to take the switch,- he raises the drop, so as to be above' the top of vthe level' F, atone side, aud low enough on the yother to strike the lever G. 'If the switch be closed, it will open at theialling ofthe lever G,and if it beopen, the i' the lever F, which is up, will not be interfered with by the drop, which has been raised .to c learit. .Thisl is the only case in which the engineer lit'st'oY move the drop under the cow-catcher". The change of position of the switch-rails is effected before the cow-'catcher gets over tlicnn@ v l Now, if, while'this train is on the side track, another train should -pass in either direction overthe main track,

it would throw down the .le-vers 11 and Rand close the switch to the train on the sidingx' 'Then if this train isto backtoward the left onto'the-main track again,

the brake-bnr of -the rpm' tinck strikes the lever N, lln'n'n'ing it down, and opening the switch to the inuin tlfni'k.

thc signal that the switch 's open,4 h c knowmhnt his -Inving thu's fully describd my' invention, b l What I clnim as new, and desire to seculehy' Letters Patent, s

stnntinlly as herein sut forth. v

2. The cum S, consisting ot the mil-seats kl :unl

Witnesses: Y

GUY-"0. IIUMvxmms, CHARLES unimos. 

